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greek soutzoukakia on a plate in tomato sauce ready to be eaten

Soutzoukakia Recipe (Greek Baked Meatballs In Tomato Sauce)

Juicy soutzoukakia baked in a rich, spiced tomato sauce with warm cinnamon and fresh herbs. Easy Greek comfort food that melts in your mouth!
5 from 4 votes
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Greek
Servings 5
Calories 872 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Baking Dish 34 cm x 23 cm

Ingredients
  

Meatballs

  • 1 kg Beef mince lean
  • 200 grams White bread crusts removed
  • 150 ml Red wine substitute with milk, water, or stock
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 Red onions grated & juice removed
  • 6 Garlic cloves minced
  • 12 grams Fresh mint chopped
  • 12 grams Fresh parsley chopped
  • 50 ml Olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons Ground cumin
  • 20 grams Salt
  • 4 grams Black pepper

Sauce

  • 1 Brown onion grated
  • 4 Garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tablespoon Tomato paste
  • 700 ml Tomato passata
  • ½ cup Water optional: add to the passata jar to clean it out
  • ½ cup Dry red wine substitute with beef stock
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 1 Cinnamon stick
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • ¼ teaspoon Black pepper

Instructions
 

Prepare the meatball mixture

  • Place the white bread into a bowl and pour over the red wine, making sure every piece gets nicely soaked.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add the beef mince, soaked bread, grated onions (juice removed), garlic, eggs, mint, parsley, olive oil, cumin, salt, and pepper.
  • Mix thoroughly with your hands until smooth and sticky. The mixture should hold its shape easily when formed.

Shape, Bake and Make the Sauce

  • Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F) fan-forced.
  • Shape the mixture into oval meatballs, similar in size to small sausages. See notes below for size recommendations.
  • Place the shaped soutzoukakia into a lightly oiled baking dish. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
  • While the meatballs bake, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the grated onion and garlic until soft and fragrant.
  • Stir in the tomato paste and cook for about one minute.
  • Add the tomato passata, water, red wine, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, salt, and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes until slightly thickened.

Finish Baking and Serve

  • Remove the meatballs from the oven and pour the hot tomato sauce over them, ensuring they’re fully coated.
  • Cover the dish with foil and return to the oven. Bake for a further 30 minutes.
  • Serve hot with rice, mashed potatoes, and crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

Video

Notes

  1. Meatball size: I typically shape mine around 100 grams each for a juicy, tender result, which gives about 16 soutzoukakia. For smaller portions, shape them closer to 50 grams each, yielding around 30.
  2. Red wine substitution (for soaking bread): Milk, water or stock can be used if you prefer to avoid alcohol.
  3. Cooking method: Traditionally, soutzoukakia are often pan-fried before simmering in sauce. This baked version offers a slightly lighter, hands-off approach while keeping authentic flavour.

Nutrition

Calories: 872kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 44gFat: 53gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 207mgSodium: 2209mgPotassium: 1509mgFiber: 6gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 1225IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 216mgIron: 10mg
Keyword greek meatballs in tomato sauce, soutzoukakia, soutzoukakia smyrneika
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